A Mortal's Start in the Spirit Beast Mountain

Chapter 379 Han Yunzhi and Dongmen Xiao

Just as Luo Ming was making his calculations, his expression suddenly shifted, as if he had sensed something. A strange look appeared on his face, and he muttered to himself, "It seems I'll be running into quite a few acquaintances in the Spirit Control Sect from now on!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking—

"call--!!!"

A deep, powerful sound, like the rapid flapping of countless thin wings, rushed towards the square from afar, pressing in at an extremely fast speed! The sound grew louder and louder, even drowning out the noisy voices in the square.

The hundreds of cultivators in the square were startled and looked up at the sky where the sound came from.

On the horizon, a colossal, crimson creature was breaking through the clouds at an astonishing speed, hurtling toward the plaza! Its body was dozens of feet long, covered entirely in a thick, fiery red carapace that shimmered with a metallic sheen, and a pair of unusually wide, transparent wings extended from its back!

The most terrifying part is its tail, which is high up... At the top is a sharp, barbed poison needle, ten feet long, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light!

"A Crimson-tailed Flying Scorpion? And a Level 5 demonic beast at that!" a knowledgeable cultivator exclaimed in surprise.

"It's a senior from the Spirit Control Sect! Arriving riding a Crimson-Tailed Flying Scorpion, how impressive!"

"I never expected that the person presiding over this disciple-acceptance ceremony would be Uncle Cao himself!" Some well-informed local cultivators also recognized the identity of this iconic spirit beast and its master.

Luo Ming watched the approaching, crimson giant scorpion, radiating the ferocious aura of a level-five demonic beast, and the Cao-surnamed cultivator standing atop it. He murmured to himself, "Looks like everyone's improved!"

The one who rode this scorpion was none other than his "Uncle-Master Cao" from over a hundred years ago when he was at Spirit Beast Mountain!

Luo Ming first met this person when he entered the Crimson Forbidden Land on this flying scorpion. The second time was when he was being chased by Lu Xuan and was rescued by his Uncle Cao, who happened to be nearby, and then sent to the front line of the battlefield, Jingu Plain.

Compared to his appearance back then, this Uncle Cao now looks much older, with graying temples, and he looks like he doesn't have much time left.

"boom!"

As the Crimson-Tailed Flying Scorpion flew directly above the plaza, its pair of rapidly vibrating transparent wings suddenly retracted. Its massive body, with an agility and lightness completely disproportionate to its size, instantly transformed from extreme motion to extreme stillness, hovering steadily ten feet above the ground. The powerful airflow it generated caused the robes of many cultivators below to flutter loudly.

"Is this the power of a level five demonic beast? It's too strong!"

"If I could tame such a spirit beast someday, I'd die happy!"

"Brother Tie, wake up! Stop dreaming. You should try to successfully establish your foundation first!"

The arrival of the giant scorpion instantly ignited the atmosphere in the square. Countless gazes, filled with awe, envy, or fervor, were fixed on the crimson giant scorpion and the dozen or so figures standing proudly on its back.

For these Qi Refining stage cultivators, most of whom come from humble backgrounds, a powerful spirit beast is something they dream of.

Standing on the scorpion's head, the old man surnamed Cao took in the excited, envious, and eager expressions of the hundreds of cultivators below. Beneath his gray eyebrows, a hint of barely perceptible satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

The reason he chose to make a high-profile appearance today riding the Crimson-Tailed Flying Scorpion was precisely to achieve this effect—to showcase the power and foundation of the Spirit Control Sect and inspire these lower-level cultivators' yearning for and sense of belonging to the sect.

He waved his hand lightly, and the Foundation Establishment stage deacons behind him understood. They all rode their escape lights and flew down from the scorpion's back, lining up on both sides of the high platform to maintain order.

"cracking--!!!"

A bird's cry, clear and high-pitched, piercing through the air and capable of splitting rocks, suddenly came from the horizon in another direction! Immediately afterward, a deep, powerful roar, carrying a hint of dragon's might, rang out almost simultaneously!

Luo Ming's divine sense stirred slightly, instantly catching the two rapidly approaching, rather familiar auras. A playful smile crept onto his lips as he thought to himself, "It seems today's disciple-acceptance ceremony is truly a gathering of 'old friends.' One Senior Brother Cao wasn't enough, these two have come too... This is getting interesting."

The cultivators in the square had just recovered from the shock of the Crimson-tailed Flying Scorpion when they were drawn to these two new, seemingly equally extraordinary roars and cries of beasts and birds, and they all turned to look.

A streak of white light streaked across the sky to the left, moving with incredible speed, and became clearly visible in the blink of an eye. It was none other than a colossal spirit eagle, over ten zhang long, with feathers as white as snow, without a single blemish, and of extraordinary magnificence!

The spirit eagle spread its wings, which were more than twenty feet long, and each flap brought up a strong gale. Its posture was elegant and swift.

"It's the White Feather Spirit Eagle! It's Fairy Han! Fairy Han has come too!" someone shouted excitedly.

To the right of the sky was a strange beast, over twenty feet long, covered with dark blue scales, with a single horn on its head and four claws on its belly, resembling a dragon. It was the Iron Wire Dragon, which possessed a thin lineage of true dragon blood!

"Iron Wire Dragon! It's Senior Dongmen!" Some people also recognized this equally rare spirit beast and its owner.

The White Feathered Spirit Eagle and the Iron Wire Dragon are clearly superior to the previous Crimson-Tailed Flying Scorpion in terms of appearance, divine might, and the potential and rarity represented by their bloodlines, and are more eye-catching.

The gasps and discussions among the cultivators below immediately rose to another level, their gazes sweeping back and forth between the two magnificent spirit beasts and the ferocious flying scorpion, the comparison obvious.

The white-feathered eagle landed gracefully on one side of the square, its wings folded.

On the eagle's back, a young female cultivator, dressed in a light blue dress, with a slender figure, a beautiful face, and an otherworldly temperament, gracefully descended. She was none other than Han Yunzhi from Spirit Beast Mountain more than a hundred years ago, and now the Core Formation Elder of the Imperial Spirit Sect.

Her cultivation had clearly reached the peak of the early stage of Core Formation, and her aura was refined, indicating a solid foundation.

As soon as she landed, she nodded slightly to Elder Cao on the high platform, her voice clear and melodious, with a hint of a smile: "Senior Brother Cao, your Crimson-Tailed Flying Scorpion is known for its speed, and it's a level higher than my 'Little Feather' realm. Flying so fast, how could I, who started later, possibly catch up?"

On the other side, the Iron Wire Dragon also spiraled down, flipped over, and leaped a person off its head.

This man was dressed in a magnificent brocade robe and had a handsome face, but his brows and eyes carried an undisguised arrogance. He was none other than Dongmen Xiao, a direct descendant of the Dongmen family of the Spirit Beast Sect, who had clashed with Luo Ming and lost the "Thousand Demon Banner." Now that his cultivation had reached the mid-stage of Core Formation, his gaze toward Han Yunzhi was filled with undisguised eagerness and flattery.

"Junior Sister Han, don't be angry. Senior Brother Cao's flying scorpion is a bit too impatient. Look at me, I've been staying with you, flying slowly behind you!"

Upon hearing this, Han Yunzhi's delicate brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, and a flash of disgust and impatience crossed her eyes, but she quickly regained her composure and said in a detached tone, "Senior Brother Cao, Senior Brother Dongmen, now that everyone is here, let's quickly begin the disciple recruitment process. After Yunzhi returns, she still needs to visit Junior Nephew Liu Yu."

"Oh? I heard that Junior Nephew Liu Yu failed to break through to the Golden Core stage last year and suffered some injuries. I wonder how he is recovering now? Has his foundation been damaged?"

Han Yunzhi gently shook her head, her tone tinged with concern and regret: "Thank you for your concern, Senior Brother Cao. Junior Nephew Liu's luck is still good; he hasn't suffered any fundamental damage. However, the backlash from his magical power has caused some damage to his meridians, and he needs to recuperate for several years. After he recovers, he should be able to try to break through to the Core Formation stage again."

"That's good. This girl has a strong will and good aptitude; she'll definitely succeed next time." Elder Cao nodded and asked no more questions.

He stepped forward, his gaze sweeping over the hundreds of cultivators below who were gradually quieting down. He cleared his throat, channeled his magical power, and his voice, like a resounding bell, clearly echoed throughout the entire plaza:

"quiet!"

The two words carried the imposing aura of a Core Formation cultivator, instantly silencing the plaza to the point of silence.

Elder Cao nodded in satisfaction and began to announce loudly, "Today is the day my Yu Ling Sect begins its recruitment of disciples! Your gathering here signifies your destiny with my Yu Ling Sect! As for the rules, I presume you have already seen what is written on the banner. I will not repeat them further!"

He paused, his gaze sharp as he swept over the tense yet expectant faces below: "Now, let's begin the first item: bone age, spiritual root, and cultivation level testing! Only those who meet the requirements can proceed to the next round of selection!"

"Those who pass the initial screening must then choose to join one of the three peaks under the jurisdiction of my Spirit Control Sect, based on their own circumstances and wishes: the 'Beast Peak,' which specializes in taming, breeding, and controlling land beasts and scaled creatures; the 'Bird Peak,' which specializes in taming, breeding, and controlling birds; and the 'Insect Peak,' which specializes in breeding, researching, and controlling various spirit insects and poisonous insects! Each of the three peaks has its own traditions and focuses. Which peak you choose will affect your future path, so please choose carefully!"

Beast Peak, Bird Peak, Insect Peak! These are the three main lineages within the Spirit Control Sect, divided according to the types of spirit beasts they control, and are the core of its sect structure. When Spirit Beast Mountain was merged into the Spirit Control Sect, most of its lineages were also integrated into these three peaks.

Luo Ming listened quietly in the crowd. For him, joining any peak was irrelevant; his goal wasn't to learn martial arts. He only needed a plausible identity to infiltrate a sect and gain relative freedom of movement.

"Now, begin the testing! Those whose names are called, come forward!" Elder Cao said no more and gestured to a Foundation Establishment deacon beside him.

The deacon quickly took out a thick register and began calling out names loudly according to the pre-registered list.

"First place, Wang Hu!"

A burly, dark-skinned young monk nervously stepped out of the crowd and headed towards the platform.

The strictness of the Spirit Control Sect's selection process for disciples far exceeded the imagination of most of the young cultivators present.

As the testing process proceeded rapidly, names were called one by one, and each monk stepped forward to be examined by the ancient "body-examination mirror" and a brief inspection by the elder in charge. Then, they left the platform with either joy, frustration, or calmness.

"Bone age 31, exceeds the limit, unqualified."

"Four spiritual roots, insufficient aptitude, unqualified."

"Your cultivation level is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, which is below the threshold and you are not qualified."

"Bone age 31, exceeds the limit, unqualified."

"Four spiritual roots, insufficient aptitude, unqualified."

"Your cultivation level is at the ninth level of Qi Refining, which is below the threshold and you are not qualified."

"Hmm, bone age 25, three spiritual roots, Qi Refining level 11, barely qualified, stand on the right and wait."

"Next..."

A cold, emotionless voice, accompanied by flashes of light, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, rang out continuously.

In just one or two hours, nearly a hundred people had been tested, but fewer than ten were able to pass the first test and stand in the qualified area on the right! The elimination rate was alarmingly high, which made the cultivators waiting in line behind them start to feel a little nervous.

Luo Ming mingled at the back of the group, calmly watching everything unfold. His expression remained unchanged, though he was somewhat bewildered.

The scene before him, with hundreds of young cultivators tense, anxious, and competing for a chance to enter a major sect, made him feel as if he had traveled through time and space back to another distant yet familiar "world".

There, similar scenes, similar selections, similar hopes and disappointments seemed to have been a kind of "normal".

"Next, Li Feiyu."

Finally, the disciple in charge read out the alias Luo Ming had given earlier in a loud voice.

Luo Ming's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. He felt a little helpless about the somewhat wicked name. There was nothing he could do; he couldn't use his original name, so he had to borrow a familiar one temporarily.